WHY HISTORY?

Historical thought is intrinsic to human beings. Every culture has an account of their past. In some cultures mythical stories prevail over other historical narratives, including legends and traditions. In Western cultures, history is part of the humanities and is developed as a science.

Humanity cannot do without a sense of its past. Human beings aspire to know the world in which they live. But as part of that world, he must also aim to know himself and the only way to achieve this is to study and understand what he has done. Our actions shape our character and our history. What we do today defines who we will be in the future. That is why the present is a product of what we have achieved in the past. As noted by the historian Juan Ortega y Medina "The past does not just happen, it also constitutes us."

The main social function of history is to teach people that the institutions (governments, schools, churches, businesses, families, etc.) that govern their life are a creation of themselves, that is, through history, human beings discover the freedom to create and transform their way of life, and to build a better society worth living in.